The 6 Most Haunted Places in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia

1. Peyton Randolph House

The Peyton Randolph House

The Peyton Randolph house is reportedly one of the most haunted places in Williamsburg. At night, the home is shrouded in blackness. It’s one of the few houses that doesn’t have a single candle in the window, no light on the front porch, and no street lights in front.  The darkness lends to the eerie effect of the home.

Some of the history behind the ghost stories associated with this house originate with a slave named Eve. In 1775, the Royal Governor of Virginia, Lord Dunmore issued a decree stating that any slave who ran away from his or her colonial owner to join the British Army would be granted freedom. One day Eve, desperate for a taste of freedom, chose to leave her son behind to join the British. However, it wasn’t long before she was caught and brought back to the home. She suffered a beating as punishment, and in the days that followed she became very insubordinate according to her owner. Unable to control her any longer, her owner decided to sell her, and she was pried from her son's arms and, in a very crude manner, thrown on a horse with her hands and feet bound. As the horse rode away, she shouted a curse upon anyone who lived in the house from that point forward. Those who lived in the house after her departure experienced sudden death, tragedy, or committed suicide.

 As far back as 1824 Lafayette believed the house was haunted. One night, as he was in one of the rooms, he felt a hand upon his shoulder; he turned suddenly to find no one there.

 Legend has it, that if you are daring enough to knock on the door of the Peyton Randolph house at night, you will hear something knocking back. We personally witnessed a similar occurrence. Late one night we approached the Peyton Randolph house. As we drew nearer to the house an eerie feeling overcame us. Maybe it was the fact that the house sat in complete darkness, or maybe it was something else. Nevertheless, one of the members of our group walked up to the door. As we watched and listened, he knocked three times. We didn’t hear a knocking response. However, we did hear the creaking of old floor boards as if someone were walking around inside.

2. The Indian School at William and Mary

The Indian School at William and Mary

Established in 1697, this school was created to educate young Indian men in reading, writing, English, arithmetic, and religion. The school was funded by the estate of Robert Boyle. Legend has it that one of the Native American boys enjoyed running the halls of the school and the grounds of the campus at night. One night he climbed out of his window and disappeared into the darkness, never to be seen again. The school closed shortly after the start of the American revolution however, some of the spirits of the former students remain. 

To this day, people who pass the school at night have reported seeing the apparition of the boy making his nightly run around the campus. Also, many have reported seeing the ghosts of several Native American children running across the sunken gardens late at night, as if they are attempting to run away from the old school.

3. The Governor's Palace

The Governor's Palace

Built in 1722, the Governor’s Palace in Williamsburg is perhaps one of the grandest structures in the state of Virginia. Many of Virginia’s governors including Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson called the palace home. The palace set the perfect scene for many extravagant balls and social gatherings in Williamsburg. 

During the Revolutionary War, the palace became the headquarters for General Charles Lee of the Continental Army, and was later used as a field hospital. On December 22, 1781, the Palace, currently being used as a hospital for over one hundred ill continental soldiers, caught fire. All but one of the patients were evacuated as a magnificent structure burned to the ground. 

In the 1930's, archaeologists discovered one hundred thirty-seven skeletons buried in the palace garden. Two of the skeletons were female, the rest appeared to be male British soldiers who died in bed, most likely during the time that the palace was being used as a hospital. It is speculated that the two females were nurses who cared for the soldiers while they were ill. 

Since then the governor’s palace has been rebuilt to resemble the magnificent structure it once was. It is said that if you sit on the palace green at night you will see a candle light passing in front of the windows of the palace. It’s believed that this candle is being carried by the ghosts of the nurses who were found buried in the gardens, still tending to their patients as an echo in time long after the war has ended.

4. George Wythe House

The Wythe House

This was the home of George Wythe, first signer of the Declaration of Independence and teacher/mentor to Thomas Jefferson. The home, thought to be built in the mid-1750s, was constructed by George Wythe’s father-in-law, Richard Taliaferro. It also served as General George Washington’s headquarters just before the siege of Yorktown.

            One prominent report of the home being haunted involves Lady Anne Skipwith, who often came to visit the family. One evening, while attending a party at the Governors Palace, Lady Anne got into a fight with her husband. In a fit of anger, she rushed out of the palace and down the palace green, back to the Wythe house where she was staying. On the way, she lost one of the shoes she was wearing. The sound of her flight down the cobblestone path leading back to the house is often heard by witnesses. Lady Anne has also been seen in the home coming out of the closet in the room where she stayed. In addition, an odd clicking rhythm has been heard ascending the staircase in the home. The sound is thought to come from Lady Anne as she returned from the party at the Governor’s palace wearing only a single shoe.

            Other reports include the sounds of a woman’s melodious singing and of furniture being moved around. An employee also reported being tapped on the shoulder by an unseen presence.

5. Eastern State Hospital

Old Public Hospital

Williamsburg, Virginia is home to the first lunatic asylum in North America, The Public Hospital for Persons of Insane and Disordered Minds. This asylum saw its first patient on October 12, 1773.

            In 1841, then known as the Eastern Lunatic Asylum, its one hundred twenty-five inmates were supervised by a physician named Doctor John Gault. John Gault remained the superintendent of the facility until it became devastated by the Civil War in 1862. During this time, the Union Army assumed control of the facility, neglecting many of the patients. Dr. Gault, disheartened by the poor treatment of the patients, fell into a state of depression. He went to his home, which stood on the grounds of the hospital, and overdosed on Laudanum, causing the blood vessels in his head to rupture. He was found lying in a pool of blood. 

          The house has long since been demolished. However, Dr. Gault’s ghost remains. It is said that his spirit roams the grounds of the hospital at night and echoes through the hallways in search of his distraught patients.

6. The Capitol Building

The Capitol Building

Sitting at the end of the Duke of Gloucester street, you will find Williamsburg’s Capitol building, where many significant historical events took place. In 1698, the Jamestown State House was destroyed by fire and the decision was made to move the colony’s government to WIlliamsburg, then known as Middle Plantation. It was built by Henry Cary, who also built the Wren Building at the College of WIlliam and Mary. It was here that Patrick Henry spoke against the Stamp Act on May 29, 1765, and in 1776 patriots assembled here to speak for American independence. Also, the first floor of the West building housed the General Court.

            Today, you can play one of the jurors during a candlelit reenacted trial of Grace Sherwood, who was tried for witchcraft in 1776. This event is called Cry Witch. Many tourists who attended this mock trial reported seeing a well-played female reenactor in the audience. Upon rendering their compliments to the other reenactors, they were informed that there was no woman fitting that description in attendance. It became rumored that this colonial-clad woman was the ghost of the Witch of Pungo, Grace Sherwood. Sightings of this woman continued until 2006, around the same time that Grace Sherwood was pardoned by Governor Timothy Kaine.


Watch the video: Colonial Williamsburg History and Haunts for more info and more haunted locations in Williamsburg, VA.

The Haunted Brandywine Valley

Covered bridge in The Valley

 Stretching out from the Delaware border into Pennsylvania is a series of long windy roads, dense woods, and beautiful farmland known as the Brandywine Valley or simply "The Valley" to many of the locals. During the day, these roads provide a quaint drive through the country. You may drive through a few covered bridges like the one pictured to the left, or alongside a babbling brook, or rolling pastures. At night however, The Valley transforms into a completely different place. As darkness settles in, the roads seem to wander on endlessly into the night. Each turn leads to an unknown stretch of darkness that appears to be a completely different road than it was during the day. The trees seem to move with the vehicle as if you're not even moving forward. Dark shadows dart out in front of you and strange creatures seem to run alongside your vehicle in an attempt to catch you. Many mysterious and strange things lurk in the darkness of The Valley.

Leaning trees along Cossart Rd

One of the most spine-tingling roads you will find in the Brandywine Valley is Cossart Road aka Devil's Road. There have been many strange sightings along this road and its said to be so evil that the trees reach away from the road. This was one of the first urban legends that VAPI visited back in 2009, and one that I use to frequent years before that. There is definitely an uneasy feeling the entire time you are on this road, and I have to say, there's no better way to experience it than in the back of a pick up, especially when you are being pursued by a vehicle with the headlights out.

VAPI Jeff with Noah in the pick up bed
patrolling down Devil's Rd 2009

As a teenager, the summer I got my driver's license, my friends and I would spend many nights driving through The Valley. This fueled my passion for urban legends, dark creepy roads, and hauntings. One night as we were exploring the long dark roads, we came upon a dead end. as we were making a U turn, the headlights shown into the woods and lit up a large mound with a woman standing on top of it. There were no cars in sight and no houses around for miles. The woman didn't move, but stood there staring at us with her hands by her side. Needless to say, we didn't stick around (this was 10 years before VAPI). Another night, we were driving down a long road surrounded by farmland, when we passed a woman walking along the road. Startled at first, we discussed where she may have emerged from. We drove further down the road and saw no disabled vehicles or houses that she may have come from. I of course brought up the idea that she may have been a ghost. We decided to turn around and go back to the location where we passed her. As we drove down the road, surrounded by nothing but fields, the woman was no where in sight. It's possible that she cut through one of the fields, but there were no other cars, or houses along the road. Maybe a ghost? It's exciting to consider as a possibility.

along Cossart Road

Quite a few years have passed since my friends and I would spend our nights driving through The Valley. Sights that I would have run from at the time, I now seek out in our search for indisputable evidence of the spiritual realm. The Brandywine Valley still holds the same mystery and allure as it always has. These long roads, twisting through the night, still present unexplainable sights and eerie feelings. Even though we return to The Valley each time I return home, it always seems new and exciting, yet so familiar. I never know what to expect as I look forward to our next venture into the Brandywine Valley.

by Jeff Santos

Moon River Brewing Company

The Moon River Brewing Company was first used as a hotel in 1821. Named the City Hotel, it was the first hotel in Savannah. In 1851, Peter Wiltberger bought the hotel and put a live lion and lioness on display in order to attract business. in 1864, just before Sherman and his troops arrived, the hotel closed down. In the early 1900's, it was used as a warehouse for lumber and coal. In the 1960's, the building was converted into a printing press and office supply store. In 1979, Hurricane David ripped the roof off the building and the store closed down. There is a report that another brewing company attempted to use the building, but was driven out by paranormal activity. In 1995, Moon River Brewing Company renovated the building.

There have been several reports of hauntings in this building. Bottles have been thrown off the shelves, and there have been reports of a noisy spirit named Toby in the billiard room. Witnesses have seen a woman walk up to the bar around closing time. They say she kind of faded out towards her feet as she walked up to the bar and disappeared.

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